Friction, you make my head right round!

A sphere of mass m \displaystyle\text{m} and radius R \displaystyle R is placed on a rough plank of mass 2m \displaystyle \text{2m} . This system is placed on a rough inclined plane, with an incline of θ \displaystyle \theta .

The friction coefficient between the plank and the incline is μ 1 \displaystyle\mu_1 , and that between sphere and plank is μ 2 \displaystyle \mu_2 .

Find the maximum value of μ 1 μ 2 \displaystyle \frac{\mu_1}{\mu_2} , such that the sphere is always pure rolling on the plank.

Details and Assumptions:
\bullet m = 2 k g \displaystyle m = 2kg
\bullet θ = 3 0 o \displaystyle \theta = 30^o
\bullet R = 15 c m \displaystyle R = 15cm
\bullet g = 9.8 m / s 2 \displaystyle g = 9.8m/s^2


The answer is 2.66667.

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1 solution

Arif Ahmed
Oct 19, 2014

First of all this problem is not incorrect nor is it poorly stated.

Second,we do not need the values of mass and radius.

Now,considering the limiting case :

1. 1. On the sphere there will be two forces : m g s i n θ mg sin \theta <left> and μ 2 m g c o s θ {\mu}_{2}mgcos \theta <right>

2. 2. On the plank there will be three forces : μ 2 m g c o s θ {\mu}_{2}mgcos \theta <left> , 2 m g s i n θ 2mgsin \theta <left> and μ 1 3 m g c o s θ {\mu}_{1}3mgcos \theta <right>

3. 3. Apply Newton's Second Law and you should get the following equations : a s p h e r e / e a r t h = g s i n θ μ 2 g c o s θ {a}_{sphere/earth} = gsin\theta - {\mu}_{2}gcos\theta

a p l a n k / e a r t h = g 2 ( c o s θ ( μ 2 3 μ 1 ) + 2 s i n θ ) {a}_{plank/earth} = \frac{g}{2}(cos\theta({\mu}_{2} - 3{\mu}_{1}) + 2sin\theta)

From torque relation , τ = I α \tau = I\alpha < pure rolling,limiting case> a = r α a = r\alpha >: we get a s p h e r e / p l a n k = 5 2 μ 2 g c o s θ {a}_{sphere/plank} = \frac {5}{2}{\mu}_{2}gcos\theta

Now, a s p h e r e / p l a n k = a s p h e r e / e a r t h a p l a n k / e a r t h {a}_{sphere/plank} = {a}_{sphere/earth} - {a}_{plank/earth}

Equating, we get μ 1 μ 2 = 8 3 \frac {{\mu}_{1}}{{\mu}_{2}} = \frac {8}{3} .

Perhaps you all are dumb enough to it for granted that friction in equal to mu*Normal reaction only at extreme condition it can be anything between zero to max. And @William G. Physics isn't assuming any arbitrary initial or bloody final condition just for the sake of problem Solving. Also at the end I would like to add that this problem is wrong !!!

raj abhinav - 1 year ago

Sorry Arif,I disagree with you..First of all you have used a=r(alpha)..which makes it wrong to even start with..You can't write a=r(alpha) because of the fact that the plank is also having an acceleration.We write a=r(alpha) when the surface on which the sphere is rolling is stationary,which here is obviously not.Secondly,I don't get it that how you can assume from the start that the friction on the sphere ( between sphere and plank) is kinetic friction..If the sphere is rolling from the beginning the the friction must be static and therefore we have to find it's value(I found it and I can prove that it wasn't kinetic). Please correct me if I am wrong..I do think that this question has a answer error and that the value comes out to be (7/4) = 1.75 Also when i did it,I needed none of the data.Just the fact that one's mass is M and the other's 2M makes the question easy to solve and everything simplifies.I can be wrong though and I would appreciate an opinion from your side.Thanks

pranav jangir - 6 years, 6 months ago

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Are you kidding me? In order to prove the relation that a=r * alpha, you must substitute it so that conditions satisfy a= r* alpha. His solution is completely correct. In order to figure something out in physics, you must assume that the initial condition is correct to find more conditions that support the original condition. Just like in calculus, this method is a correct way to figure something out. It is true that you do not need any of the parameters given besides the mass or values of mu. Btw this problem assumes that the mu values are same for kinetic and static.

William G. - 3 years, 12 months ago

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